Rear Axle Advice - Dana 35

KingDon

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Nov 25, 2015
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I have had CJ2a’s, Cj-5 ,Cj-7, YJ’s, a Cherokee, and Grand Cherokee’s – I wanted to buy a Rubicon but could not pass this 2001 TJ up.

Current situation: I just picked up a 2001 TJ 45k 6cy 3in lift, 31in micky thompsons and lots of extras – winch, bumpers, spare tire rack, gas cans, CB, Li-lift jack… This has the Dana 35. I like it and bought it right for my area – Northern CO (An old GoldWing and 5K)

Use: I do most of my 4x4 alone do to work schedule. I go wheeling to my cabin at 8250 ft every month of the year. My wife and I like to explore ghost towns during the summer here in CO. This is not my daily driver, but is used around town every week.

Desire: I want to add a locker to the rear and from talking to ‘$X$ shops’ or 4X4 shops in my area they say there is no need to go to a Dana 44 for my usage.

Advice please:

1. When I open up the rear pumpkin, what am I likely to find 27 or 30 spline axles?

2. Should I replace them when I install the locker? With what

3. What locker should I choose – ARB, Auburn, OX…

4. What Axel (if needed)?

5. What should I expect to pay in parts? I do not need to do this on the cheap, I just do not want to get “Taken”.

6. What is a good place for parts?

7. Looking at the youTube sites, the job seems with-in my experience level – am I missing something? To me it is pretty much remove, assemble, replace, check tolerances, bolt back up, and go wheeling.

8. What about gearing? Are there any needs while I am in there?

Thank you all for your time reading this, all advice is welcome.

DZ
 
Unless it's been upgraded to a super 35 kit, it should be 27 spline axles.
And if you're just on 31's, check out the super 35 kits from Revolution. They upgrade the axles to 30 spline and come available with a locker. Cost for parts is about $1,000-$1,200 I think.
You don't need new gears for 31's with the 4.0
Unless you've set gears up before, it is highly recommended you let a shop do it.

But, you could also add a locker to the front and not do all of that and not worry about snapping the shafts.
 
Advice please:

1. When I open up the rear pumpkin, what am I likely to find 27 or 30 spline axles?

2. Should I replace them when I install the locker? With what

3. What locker should I choose – ARB, Auburn, OX…

4. What Axel (if needed)?

5. What should I expect to pay in parts? I do not need to do this on the cheap, I just do not want to get “Taken”.

6. What is a good place for parts?

7. Looking at the youTube sites, the job seems with-in my experience level – am I missing something? To me it is pretty much remove, assemble, replace, check tolerances, bolt back up, and go wheeling.

8. What about gearing? Are there any needs while I am in there?

1) 27 spline would be stock, so that's what you should find (assuming your rig is stock).

2) If you're referring to the axles, yes, I would replace them when instilling a new locker. If you're going to put in a high quality locker it only makes sense to have some high quality chromoly axle shafts installed at the same time. It's not a must, but I would personally not skip on it.

3) This is a huge area of debate. I personally am not a fan of air lockers. If it were me I would put in Eaton E-lockers. You can't go wrong with ARB though.

4) If you're going to get axle shafts get the best of the best and do it right the first time. The best axle shafts you can get are Revolution Chromoly axle shafts or RCV axle shafts (RCVs are only for the front). Talk to @Garza or @AOR, they'll hook you up with a better price than you'll find anywhere else, guaranteed.

5) See my response to #4. You'll spend well over several thousand dollars for front and rear, but either of those guys will give you a better price than you'll find anywhere else, especially if you buy it as a package.

6) I always buy all my stuff from 4lowparts.com or xf_vendor_spam_management

7) How experienced are you? Axle shafts is a simple install, I can change out axle shafts in no time at all. However, installing a new locker or gears is NOT something you should do if you haven't done it before. I've grown up rebuilding engines but I won't touch anything differential related. That requires a skill set that is more than I have as you need to have things lined up perfectly and have all the tolerances set correctly otherwise you can really do some damage.

8) What gearing do you have now? What kind of transmission do you have and what size tires are you going to be running? We need to know that information before we can properly and accurately answer this question.
 
1) 27 spline would be stock, so that's what you should find (assuming your rig is stock).

2) If you're referring to the axles, yes, I would replace them when instilling a new locker. If you're going to put in a high quality locker it only makes sense to have some high quality chromoly axle shafts installed at the same time. It's not a must, but I would personally not skip on it.

3) This is a huge area of debate. I personally am not a fan of air lockers. If it were me I would put in Eaton E-lockers. You can't go wrong with ARB though.

4) If you're going to get axle shafts get the best of the best and do it right the first time. The best axle shafts you can get are Revolution Chromoly axle shafts or RCV axle shafts (RCVs are only for the front). Talk to @Garza or @AOR, they'll hook you up with a better price than you'll find anywhere else, guaranteed.

5) See my response to #4. You'll spend well over several thousand dollars for front and rear, but either of those guys will give you a better price than you'll find anywhere else, especially if you buy it as a package.

6) I always buy all my stuff from 4lowparts.com or xf_vendor_spam_management

7) How experienced are you? Axle shafts is a simple install, I can change out axle shafts in no time at all. However, installing a new locker or gears is NOT something you should do if you haven't done it before. I've grown up rebuilding engines but I won't touch anything differential related. That requires a skill set that is more than I have as you need to have things lined up perfectly and have all the tolerances set correctly otherwise you can really do some damage.

8) What gearing do you have now? What kind of transmission do you have and what size tires are you going to be running? We need to know that information before we can properly and accurately answer this question.

Thanks Chris for the mention. Hey check this out too for your Dana 35. $309.00 via email, phone, or PM. Free Shipping too.
 
Thanks Chris for the mention. Hey check this out too for your Dana 35. $309.00 via email, phone, or PM. Free Shipping too.

Hey, I didn't know you could even get those anymore since Superior is no longer in business. Is that NOS or something?
 
Hey, I didn't know you could even get those anymore since Superior is no longer in business. Is that NOS or something?

yes Sir! NOS and plenty available. I have a resource for them. Only (1) YJ left. Plenty of Dana 35/44s for the TJ though. Actually ship one for a YJ today. :)
 
yes Sir! NOS and plenty available. I have a resource for them. Only (1) YJ left. Plenty of Dana 35/44s for the TJ though. Actually ship one for a YJ today. :)

I liked that setup since it was entirely bolt on. I may need to end up getting some of these myself... Ugh, the list never ends!
 
Just so you know, my price on the truss kits just dropped out the bottom. So I am blowing them out at $269.95 shipped. Ca residents add $17.62. See it in my vendor section here.
 
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Just so you know, my price on the truss kits just dropped out the bottom. So I am blowing them out at $269.95 shipped. Ca residents add $17.62. See it http://wranglertjforum.com/threads/...-superior-for-tj-yj-model-35-and-Dana 44.128/

Good lord... That's so ridiculously cheap it's not even funny.

Maybe I'm wrong (I've never seen one installed in person), but it seems that the truss would interfere with the track bar? Maybe I'm wrong though.
 
I may have to snatch one of these up (once I determine my 'Christmas funds). It's a good solution, and a shame they don't make them anymore.
 
I Hate to say it but that truss is no longer available. And yep, it was for the rear axle only. It was created by Blaine Johnson and Mac at Superior Axle and they went out of business several years ago. I asked Mac if he planned to reintroduce it via Revolution Gear but he said no, that Superior just didn't sell enough of them. Incidentally, Mac recently "retired" from RGA to running his own 4x4 shop in Arizona so he's no longer running RGA.
 
I Hate to say it but that truss is no longer available. And yep, it was for the rear axle only. It was created by Mac at Superior Axle and they went out of business several years ago. I asked Mac if he planned to reintroduce it via Revolution Gear but he said no, that Superior just didn't sell enough of them. Incidentally, Mac recently "retired" from RGA to running his own 4x4 shop in Arizona so he's no longer running RGA.

I have (14) TJ Dana 44, (10) TJ Dana 35 and (2) YJ Dana 35 available. I shipped a YJ Dana 35 one yesterday.

Allen
 
Well, we can still get them from @AOR while he's got them!

Did it have any issues with clearing the rear track bar Jerry? I don't think it would, but just thought I would ask.
 
I Hate to say it but that truss is no longer available. And yep, it was for the rear axle only. It was created by Mac at Superior Axle and they went out of business several years ago. I asked Mac if he planned to reintroduce it via Revolution Gear but he said no, that Superior just didn't sell enough of them. Incidentally, Mac recently "retired" from RGA to running his own 4x4 shop in Arizona so he's no longer running RGA.

Would you buy the truss again?

P.S.
Do you think Revolution will maintain their standard of quality? Or should I grab some 30 spline shafts for my Dana 35 now and get the locker when I can afford it later?